Shrewsbury Town fan's 'priceless' collection up for auction

Chris Smith died in 2017, at the age of 64, having been a fan of the club since attending his first match when he was just two-years-old.

Over the course of six decades, Mr Smith collected a huge range of memorabilia, ranging from scarves, photographs and programmes to badges, tickets and more.

After his death, Mr Smith's sons took what they wanted from his collection and the family decided the rest should be auctioned.

Part of the collection is now up for sale with Midlands Sports Auctions, based in West Bromwich.

Owner Matthew Bytheway, a friend of Mr Smiths, said: "Chris' interest goes way back to his grandfather, Sam Powell, who was one of the club's trainers in the 1920s. He followed Shrewsbury home and away.

"Sadly he was battling with multiple sclerosis and had to start walking with a stick, then he ended up in a wheelchair, but his love for his club stayed strong."

The pair met about 20 years ago through auctions, as Mr Smith was always a keen collector and trader, and became friends.

Mr Bytheway said his friend was well-known for having the largest and most impressive Shrewsbury Town collection.

He said it was in fact one of the best football collections from any team that he had ever seen.

"It is absolutely amazing how he kept it all," he said.

"He basically transformed what was a double garage into a space for all of his items. It was full of shelving. As it grew he also ended up shelving the dining room too.

"He had items dating back to the early 1900s. His collection is absolutely priceless has he has some pieces that are completely unique and one off."

The auction, which is hosted on thesaleroom.com is live until November 17.